The present invention relates to blood bags generally. More specifically, the present invention relates to labels for blood bags.
It is known to house blood components in flexible plastic containers. These containers referred to as blood bags can be used to receive a blood component, process the blood component, store the blood component, and assist in infusing the blood component into a recipient. Of course, it is necessary to provide some means for identifying certain information on the blood bag, e.g., the type of storage solution, anticoagulant, or blood component, the collection date, manufacturer's product code and lot number, etc.
To this end, it is known to provide labels for blood bags. Typically, these labels have heretofore comprised a paper substrate that is secured to the container. These paper labels provide many characteristics that are necessary and/or desirable for a blood bag label.
Blood bags must provide a container that allows gas transmission through the container in order to maintain the viability of the cells to be housed therein. In this regard, it is necessary that the bag allow carbon dioxide to flow out of the blood bags and oxygen to flow therein. Paper provides a substrate that allows for a flow of gas through the labeled area of the blood bag; a paper label does not decrease the effective area of the bag that allows gas transmission beyond acceptable limits.
Paper also provides a surface that can be written or printed on. Thus, a paper label provides a substrate that allows one to easily indicate necessary information on the blood bag. In this regard, the label typically will receive printed as well as handwritten information. It is also known to use bar codes on such labels.
Paper, however, does exhibit certain disadvantages when used as a label for a blood bag. Paper labels are not very durable to moisture, abrasion, temperature extreme, and are not elastic to allow for dimensional changes that occur to the blood bag. It is known to process the blood components stored within the blood bags by centrifuging the bag in addition to other processes. During such processes the labels can become wet and subjected to extreme temperatures. Paper labels can crack or wrinkle during such processes. The cracking or wrinkling of a label is especially detrimental to the use of bar codes on such labels. Unless a smooth uninterrupted surface is provided, the bar codes may be unreadable by a bar code reader. This forces manual entering of data into a computer thus increasing the chance for errors.
There are a number of other requirements that a blood bag label must meet. Some such requirements are set forth in the labeling requirements that have been instituted by the: American Blood Commission's Uniform Labeling Guidelines, 1985; or NBTS "Spec for Uniform Labeling of Blood and Blood Products."
It is also desirable that blood bag labels be easily applied to the blood bag. Such labels must also endure the typical manufacturing processing conditions that are typically utilized. In this regard, the bag and label must be sterilizable. Further, the labels must be able to withstand the processing conditions that the containers may be subjected to by the customer, for example, centrifugation, liquid freezing, water bath thawing to name a few.